Rudman Library Trust awards grants to three libraries

ELLSWORTH — The Rose and Samuel Rudman Library Trust of the Maine Community Foundation has awarded grants totaling $22,363 to 30 libraries across the state. The grants, which range from $300 to $1,000, support programs and activities that creatively and practically integrate with a library’s collection.

Local recipients are the Guilford Memorial Library, which received $550 to expand the collection of adult nonfiction books; $450 for the Sangerville Public Library to purchase PBS Masterpiece Theatre and History Channel DVDs with some accompanying book titles; and $400 is for the Shaw Public Library in Greenville to develop a collection of titles of interest to 18- to 30-year-old readers.

The Rudman Library Trust was established in 1986. In his business travels in Maine, particularly Downeast, Rudman was struck by the commitment of local libraries to learning and reading. He and his wife wanted to encourage libraries in smaller communities to continue and expand programming and outreach through the trust that bears their name. A full list of grant recipients is available at www.mainecf.org.